Steve and I were ready to take the next step in our relationship and get married.
When we realized how long it would take us to get a spousal visa we decided to hurry and get married as soon as possible. We organized everything in two weeks! Getting married in the USA was going to help us to accelerate the visa process, so I flew to Chicago. Our plan was to have a small ceremony with our closest family members and friends, which included around eleven people. It was not our priority to have an expensive wedding, we preferred to save, travel and invest money for our future.
It was November and the winter was about to arrive in Chicago. We could not have a ceremony outside and renting an indoor place was pricy for such a short ceremony. We could go to a courthouse, but it was important for us to have God’s blessing since the first moment of our marriage; we wanted our pastor to officiate the ceremony.
Fortunately, Steve had an awesome idea. He called to the John Hancock building and asked them if we could get married on the “Viewing Deck” of the building. Everyone in our party would pay the normal entry fee and the building didn’t have to do anything. They said that nobody had done that before, but that we could do it.
We had a gorgeous view of the city, the tourists were very respectful, gave us our space but ended up being part of the crowd watching us too. Everybody was so happy for us, and some strangers even teared up! Since my family wasn’t able to make it, we live-streamed the event on YouTube and more than 100 people tuned in.
When deciding about the restaurant, my husband’s first thought was to eat at Chipotle because that is his favorite type of food and I love it too! I thought it would be weird at first but then I thought it would be funny and cool. Wearing my long wedding dress in a place like that was not conventional. I had no idea, but I knew that no matter where we got married that was going to be one of the most special days in my life. I was completely sure about the commitment of sharing our lives together, and I knew that wherever place we chose, it was going to be one of the happiest days of my life, because it was all about Steve and I. At the end we decided to go to a very nice steak house called Fogo The Chao, and we all loved it!
Making wise decisions about our wedding day blessed us a lot financially in the short and long term. We were able to stay out of debt and had an exceptional day!
When planning a wedding you do not need to spend a lot of money or worry too much about pleasing other members of your family or friends. If this is your dream to have a big and fancy celebration, then go ahead. But, the essential thing is that you and your significant other are the ones who fully enjoy your special occasion. The memories that you create that day are going to last forever!
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